NEW YEAR Resolutions: Focus on what really matters

I was recently given this Thrive Journal, created by Arianna Huffington and Kikki K. It is a journal to reflect on different aspects of your life. It is a great book to review who you are – mind, body, aspirations etc. This book gave me the idea for this blog post. I wanted to finally lay everything out on the table and be honest with myself and start the New Year with a fresh and positive mind.

With everything that happened last year, feeling a little lost and unhappy that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be (mostly career wise). And stressing about bumping into people who would judge me every time I had the same old conversation, saying I’m still doing the same old thing. I had one of those conversations just a few days ago, bumping into someone who knew me from my school days. The classic conversation: “Is that you? Nooo, I wouldn’t have recognised you” “What you doing now?” The sympathetic head tilt to the side when I say I work in retail and then the “Do you know what you want to do?”, and when I don’t give a clear defined answer the sad puppy dog eyes come out, added with another head tilt; like there is no hope for me because I’m still deciding what I want to do in life when I’m 23! Definitely fed up with having those conversations! Instead of just focusing on the career aspect of life I wish you could change those conversations to – ‘So how has your year been?’ ‘What are you proud of achieving this year?’ – ending the conversation with “Life’s a marathron not a sprint” kind of vibe.

But, forgetting all those annoying conversations that make you feel down about life I want to pat myself on the back for last year, and I’m confident to say I am very proud of myself. Yes, it may not have been my most productive year career wise but finally I did one of the hardest things I have had to do in a long time. I finally opened up about all my anxieties that I deal with all day everyday. After opening up and speaking to someone I was told I had PTSD (which I don’t say to say “I have something – feel sorry for me”), just feels good to be completely honest and open. It helped me realise that I don’t have to feel this way anymore and how my anxieties really stem from something! Things started to fall into place near the end of 2016 and I really think it was because I dropped all defenses about everything, I didn’t have to feel strong anymore and I felt so relieved to open up about my anxieties.

I am in no way saying I’m all set, prepped and sorted and life is great. No no, far from that! Still a work in progress. But finally, I feel free and excited about the year ahead, ignoring those feelings of being judged by others – even though frankly, I don’t thinks anyone was. And well… for the people who maybe do judge me (the head tilters) – I don’t have time for you (sassy hand raise).

In the end I just knew I wasn’t pushing myself last year, not completely, and my anxieties definitely didn’t help that. I didn’t want to stray too far from normality and change too much in case of… well let’s just say due to a number of fears. But working through my PTSD and deciding not to be bullied by my anxious thoughts made me feel very empowered. I am in no way wasting what should be the most carefree and exciting time of my life by sitting in the same spot and daydreaming about all the things I “could do”.

So yeah, let’s get onto the positive stuff – enough blabber about my stuff. Receiving this book over Christmas has really helped as well, it’s perfect for writing down all your goals, setting priorities, practising gratitude and overall, it is a great book for some self reflection. I would recommend this book to everyone! Yes you may say, ‘I don’t have time to write down goals and sleep patterns’. But seriously, if you feel lost at any point this it would be a great book to look at to motivate you and get you back on the right track again.

I always think the more reflective I can be in my life, the more I can progress and live life BOLDLY! (Yes, the last bit I’ve taken from Me Before You 😉 Another great book to put life into perspective!)

Here are some of the quotes I have come across in the past couple of months that make me feel inspired and ready for the New Year.

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

John C. Maxwell

Start each day with a grateful heart.

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Jane Goodall

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.

Jim Rohn

Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.

Doug Firebaugh

What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.

And like the lovely lady J K Rowling said,

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

I hope reading these quotes has made you feel motivated to start the New Year feeling postive and empowered! LET’S ALL MAKE 2017 AN EPIC YEAR!!